


Boot-Strapped Army

by fairyeyes



Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: Disappointment, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 08:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17956919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyeyes/pseuds/fairyeyes
Summary: Aki Yamato has been working behind the scenes for three years but she is frustrated. What can she do but keep tightening her boot-straps?





	Boot-Strapped Army

**Author's Note:**

> This was a ko-fi fic! They were frustrated that Aki hadn't had any events in the game even after her debut. I hope you enjoy this story!

**Boot-Strapped Army**

For three years, Aki Yamato worked her tail off behind the scenes. When the agency was short-staffed, she was the first to volunteer. Anytime someone needed heavy-lifting, that any of the other roadies weren’t able to handle, she was there. She knew the ins and outs of the industry just from watching from the background. Even in that short amount of time, she would see others’ careers blow up and get destroyed in an instant. She saw it first-hand how ruthless the entertainment industry could be and how kind it could be. Anyone could be anything and nothing in just an instant.

Even with all the idols in the agency, currently, Aki would see the different girls they would bring in and debut. Some of them were questionable at most and others already forgettable; Aki worried she was one of them. That was why she had a smile on her face. That was why she was so energetic – she didn’t want people to forget her smile. In her mind, if they remembered her smile, they would remember energetic and military otaku Aki Yamato. Eventually, Aki’s infectious smile had earned her an extra paycheck under the table and although Aki tried to convince herself that it would all be worth it in the end, volunteering quickly became expectancy for her to work behind the scenes.

In spite of that, she was the last one to leave the studios. She was the one who signed up for extra choreograph practices and even singing lessons – so her talent isn’t wasted on moving sets around and making sure the other idols are on time. Lifting heavy cameras and transporting idols around wasn’t what she had planned for herself. Her dream was to represent the Japanese Defense Force for her father’s sake but she has not been able to do so for a reason unknown to her. At first, she was content to at least see them from the back – maybe it just wasn’t the right time, maybe the world wasn’t ready for someone who collected models of guns and other military weapons. But the right time never came for her.

Over time, frustration started to build up. Idols that only ever had a three-year career, or shorter, were able to at least say they were close to the limelight. Aki could only view the warm limelight in the shadows. And that angered her. She forced to hide that anger though and for three years, it festered. But she still smiled.

When she finally got home for the day, one of the last ones to leave the studio again, Aki really felt it in her soul the frustration she had carried over for three years. Even after she showered and made herself dinner, she couldn’t lie to herself anymore. But instead of really confronting it, Aki decided to ignore it. She wanted to leave her emotions regarding work at work – it had no place in her home.

At least, that’s what Aki convinced herself when she went to sleep that night.

In the next morning, she woke up covered in sweat and with her heart beating fast – a nightmare. She breathed to calm herself down. She didn’t exactly remember what the dream was about but it was enough for her to suddenly wake up a few hours earlier than she usually did.

_No_ , Aki finally determined, _I need to talk to Producer-dono. This… this is ridiculous! I need to get to the bottom of it!_

**.x.**

When she arrived at the agency and clocked in for the day, Aki went over straight to the producer’s office, even when other people tried to distract her with projects they needed help with. Projects that other people could’ve been doing that are not her – Aki did her best to ignore them even after she greeted them with her usual smile.

“Hey Aki, can you help—“

“Sorry! I have a meeting with Producer-dono!” Aki waved them off as she quickly walked towards the familiar pathway. She remembered when she first met him three years ago. He hardly smiled but Aki just knew that the producer was sincere. While she understood that he had a job to do, Aki was one of the possibly many idols that barely had any activities. Even idols whose gimmicks were old and haven’t been popular in years, they were somehow granted a debut – either as a soloist, in a group, or even an actress or models. But not Aki – anyone, but Aki and Aki wanted to know why.

Soon, she managed to reach the producer’s office and gave the closed door heavy knocks. She needed desperately to know why someone like her hasn’t been able to get any positions to audition – for singing, dancing, acting, even modeling. Perhaps the fact that Aki was open about modeling for the sake of the Japanese Defense Force could’ve been offensive to the promoters but Aki at least deserved a start. A start was all she was looking for! There were some other idols who also stayed behind with her and always commented on her hard work and dedication – how she always pulled her bootstraps and smiled her frustrations but maybe she needed direct action from the producer.

Finally, the door opened. Aki’s heart nearly burst with anticipation when she saw the eyes of the producer. He nodded kindly and let her in. With every step, Aki wanted to just yell at him right then and there her feelings but she held back. Instead, she gave him her infectious smile. He didn’t seem to react right away but he led her to his sofa and sat at his own desk.

“Ah, Yamato-san,” Aki was impressed the young producer actually remembered her family name, “what can I help you with today? Are you looking for more work behind the scenes?”

Aki shook her head quickly. “Actually… I was hoping to see if there were any upcoming promotions that maybe I could participate in… I’ve been wondering for a while… When I came here to sign up, I wanted to be a model! I wanted to model for the Japanese Defense Force! But… lately, I’ve been working more behind the scenes than necessary and I was wondering if I would be able to talk to you and see maybe if I could find something to get me started! I know I have to work hard to get to my dream but I’m willing to do it!”

The producer listened to the energetic woman explain herself. Aki was nervous in the beginning but once she started, she couldn’t stop. If the producer could remember her family name, she could at least remind him of her dream – the dream he promised to help create so long as she pulled up her bootstraps. She did it with a smile on her face and it was time for her to reap the rewards.

“I understand where you’re coming from, Yamato-san,” he started to say. Aki straightened her back more than she already had and prepared for the next onslaught of words. “But you must remember you have to keep working hard. You have to keep going, Yamato-san, before you can audition. Until then, I do have some work for you that you can help assist instead…” He started shuffling through his papers until he found one in particular. He started to drone on about the television show Love Laika apparently was going to show up in but Aki had enough.

She stood up and walked towards his desk. He didn’t pay attention and kept talking so she slammed her hands on his desk.

“Producer-dono! I just said I don’t want to work behind the scenes anymore! I want to be a model! Please! I’ve been here for three years! Three years! I’ve worked hard! I don’t know if you see me or if anyone told you but I have been staying after hours – practicing for a dance I would never do! Practicing a song I would never sing! But I want to be good enough for you or anyone in the office to notice!

“But all you’re noticing is how strong and reliant I am! I’m tired, Producer-dono! I need this opportunity to shine brightly! You let the other girls shine! I need to shine!  I need to show how great the Japanese Defense Force is! My father… my family has given me so much and I did so much up to this point! I really don’t want to work behind the scenes anymore!”

At this point in her rant, Aki’s green eyes started to cover in tears. She kept slamming the desk with her hands as the producer watched her with dreary eyes. Maybe he’s heard variations of this speech before but Aki didn’t care. Her smile was gone and her frustration overflowed into anger as she kept slamming her hands on his desk. Her hands did indeed hurt form the slamming but eventually started to go numb. She was tired of it!

“Producer-dono! Please! I don’t want to waste my time in the background anymore! I want to shine brightly like the sun! Please, please, please!” She sobbed and lowered herself to the ground where she embarrassingly cried in front of his desk. She could hear the chair move and the producer coming closer to her.

He touched her back, even as she continued to slam her numb hands against the wooden desk, on how desperately she needed to model or at least given an opportunity. She didn’t hear any of the words the producer said.

Eventually, Aki was excused to the lady’s room and cried out any remaining tears she had. The other women and idols that happened to stumble upon ignored her and left her alone. Aki actually hated them – because they were the ones who stole her shining moment. They stole her sun. It was Aki who deserved to be in the limelight – three years ago, she should’ve been a top priority to become an idol. Did she sign up for nothing? Did she sign up just to fill out a slot? Did she sign up just so they could use her behind the scenes to lift others up? She understood through her own personal military training that in order to succeed in war, one must become part of a unit; to train with the unit, to succeed as a unit.

But Aki had to learn the hard way – the idol industry is nothing like the military. There’s no unity – every idol was for herself. And because she called the producer’s bluff that if only she ‘worked harder’, whatever that meant, that things will work out for her. But when? **When?** When will it be Aki Yamato’s moment to shine?

After she cried it out, after she reapplied her makeup, she went back to her locker to pack up for the day – as she wasn’t emotionally equipped to deal with work anymore that day – she found an envelope for more work and for just a moment, just a sliver of a moment, Aki’s heart had hope in it.

When she opened it, though, it was the roadie assignment for Love Laika. Her heart sank but in order to survive in the city, she needed the money. Aki Yamato would apparently need to tighten her bootstraps for just a bit longer.


End file.
